Pittsburgh Announces Major Investment in Aging Snow Fleet

City officials say 37 trucks had to be pulled from service during record-setting snowstorm.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 9:23am

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Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O'Connor is set to make an announcement about investing in the city's aging fleet of snow removal vehicles. Last week's record-setting snowstorm saw 37 of the city's 95 snow trucks taken out of service, highlighting the need for fleet upgrades. O'Connor will be joined by other city officials to provide details on the planned investment.

Why it matters

Pittsburgh's aging snow removal fleet has struggled to keep up with increasingly severe winter weather, leading the city to declare a state of emergency and bring in outside contractors to supplement its own plows and salt trucks. This investment aims to ensure the city is better prepared to handle future major snowstorms.

The details

During last week's storm that dumped a record 11.2 inches of snow, the city started with 95 snow removal trucks but had to pull 37 of them from service as they broke down. With an already aging fleet, the city had to declare a state of emergency to bring in additional contractor vehicles to help clear the roads.

  • On January 25, 2026, Pittsburgh saw a record 11.2 inches of snowfall.
  • On the overnight shift on Tuesday, January 28, the city had 50 plows and salt trucks out, aided by 25 contractor vehicles.
  • On the overnight shift on Wednesday, January 29, the city hired two more contractors to supplement the morning shift.

The players

Corey O'Connor

The mayor of Pittsburgh who will be making the announcement about investing in the city's aging snow removal fleet.

Sheldon Williams

The acting Director of Public Safety for the city of Pittsburgh.

Amera Gilcrist

The EMS Chief for the city of Pittsburgh.

Jon Atkinson

The President of the Fraternal Association of Professional Paramedics Local 1 in Pittsburgh.

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What they’re saying

“Thirty-seven trucks had to be pulled from service during the storm that dumped record-setting snow in the city.”

— Corey O'Connor, Mayor of Pittsburgh (wtae.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This investment in Pittsburgh's aging snow removal fleet is crucial to ensuring the city is better prepared to handle increasingly severe winter weather events in the future, which have strained the current equipment and required the city to rely on outside contractors during emergencies.